1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to reciprocating presses and, more specifically, to the installation of a dieset therein including vertical and horizontal alignment capability which facilitates installation thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently die sets include horizontal laterally displaced parallel reciprocating guides; one pair disposed on the bottom of the lower die shoe and one pair disposed on the top of the upper die shoe. These guides cooperate with respective pair of guides disposed on the bed and ram of a vertically reciprocating press. In operation the guides disposed on the press and those disposed on the die set cooperate to produce a low friction horizontal reciprocation of the die set. The horizontal and vertical reciprocation of the die set and press are synchronized so that material flowing continuously through the die set may be cut virtually on-the-fly. Supporting the weight of the die set and transmitting the force of the press to the die set requires a rigid structural interconnection between the cooperating guides which continuing to require a low friction relation therebetween. As a result, parallelism and close tolerances between the cooperating guides are critical to proper system operation. Achieving alignment of the reciprocating guides on the die set with those of the press during installation of the die set is a difficult and time consuming process. Techniques presently used include an elevating table which may be positioned laterally with respect to the press by means of casters. Equipment guarding must be removed each time a die set change is made. The present invention may be prepared as an integral portion of the press or by means of retrofit and avoids the necessity to remove guarding to accomplish a die set change.